TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1860-1916
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number of troops to the frontier and wage a vigorous war, as is being down [done] at the North West.- But I have little hope -of inducing the Govt. to adopt such a policy and if it could be done, the operations of the Govt are so slow that we may all be ruined before any thing could be done. In the present posture of affairs I think the best thing that could be done would be to bring about some systematic Co-operation of the settlers in aid of the troops,-and this would have to be accomplished by the Commanding officers at the Posts & the State Executive. Whatever representations you may make to the military au- thorities will no doubt be well received and probably acted upon - they will at least be received without suspicion- and I would recommend you immediately to write to the Commanders of military posts requesting them to patrol the frontier as actively as the strength of their Commands will permit and to call upon the settlers to aid whenever necessary- At the same time I would recommend you to issue an address to the citizens on and bordering on the frontier, to form voluntary organizations to respond promptly to any call or warning by the military. These organizations had better be by settlements- with some recog- nized leader whose call they would respond to-and whenever notice of the advance or entry of Indians into the settlement!, should be given by the military they could promptly turn out and patrol thir respective settlements or act as suggested by the Military Commander so as to Co-operate with, and aid the troops.- The leaders of settlement organizations or associa- tions being Known to and recognized by the Military Com- manders, prompt and reliable intelligence could be given from one to the other and prompt co-operative action secured.- Genl. Hatch at Camp Verde, has expressed a wish for the citizens to give information and to assist him- I understand he has ver- bally expressed such a wish-but as it is addressed to citizens as individuals it does not come in that imposing shape and does not have that effect it would have if the people or a consider- able portion in each settlement were organized for that ex- press purpose, with a leader whose call they had engaged and promised to respond to You will readily perceive that the drift of my rec- ommendation, is to bring about prompt, active and systematic co-operation between the military and citizens in discovering ·and repelling the approach of Indians.- What I have proposed is the simplest and most easily comprehended plan I can sug-
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